Worms, Fleas and Ticks on Dogs

Heart worm, fleas and other parasites in dogs need to be destroyed by using the appropriate medication on them. Loads of products have come onto the market to protect dogs from heart worms, fleas and other parasites like hook worms, whip worms, round worms, lice, ticks etc.

Out of the heart worms, fleas and other parasites, fleas can produce a super-sensitive over-reaction in the affected dog. Animals infected with fleas scratch their bodies very vigorously. Often the scratching is so severe that the skin becomes super-sensitive and dermatitis occurs in the scratched patches of skin.

The result of a serious flea infestation is often that the animal can not lie down for long or sleep comfortably because of the persistent flea bites. So, your dog looks as if has some serious skin disease. If the the animal is not properly attended to for these flea bites, there could be a secondary bacterial attack in these sites and there may even be a bad smell emanating from the affected area of your dog's skin.

You ought to observe your dog closely in order prevent a serious outbreak. It is essential to prevent such a serious outbreak as they are extremely distressing to your pet. Similarly, the skin of the animal needs to be checked regularly for the presence of ticks and lice. In order to do this properly, you must look at the dog's skin by separating the dog's hairs. The easiest way to do this is by slowly back-combing or ruffling the pet's hair.

Usually, if your dog is anaemic, and it is not he result of being plagued by too many fleas, you need to check for hookworm. Symptoms of hookworm are usually anaemia, loose stools and a pot belly. The dog's owner may notice these symptoms by themselves, however, speaking honestly, the dog needs to undergo a routine health examination at the vet's, which involves both faecal and hematological tests.

There are many commercial products available on the market, some of which are effective for dealing with all these conditions by a single dose. Drugs like ivermectin are highly efficacious and are available in injection, oral and solution forms. The latter should be put directly on the dog's skin. These drugs can induce the prevention of the above conditions too.

So, the best policy to adopt is to keep a keen watch on your dog. This could very easily be carried out at bath time and when you are brushing him. You can use an anti-flea and anti-tick shampoo, which will keep these pests at bay, if used regularly. Couple this with regular grooming with a lice comb and the use of a flea collar should keep your pet flea, lice, and tick free.